The Hoobs

The Hoobs is a live-action/animated children's television series created and produced by The Jim Henson Company and Decode Entertainment for Channel 4. 250 episodes were produced across five series. Plot It stars five creatures called Hoobs (Hubba Hubba, Iver, Groove, Tula, and Roma) from the fictional Hoobland, and their interactions with Earth and the human race. In each episode, they try to find the answer to a question to be put in the great Hoobopaedia (a database) created by Hubba Hubba, back in Hoobland, in hopes of learning all there is to know. Hubba Hubba remains in Hoobland to await the report from the other Hoobs, Iver, Groove, and Tula live in the Hoobmobile, and Roma travels to all parts of the world. The five creatures are muppets, but the show also includes some animated sequences as well as live motion of human children who explain concepts to the Hoobs. Series A typical episode format involves: Hubba Hubba introduces the viewers to The Hoobs and the opening titles roll. A preamble during which a question to be answered is stumbled upon. Hubba Hubba formalizes the task. Roma is e-mailed the question in order for her to provide a report. Hubba Hubba downloads some pictures from HoobNet, relating to the question. A line of dialogue with a question and statement ending "who", "what", "when", "where", "why" or "how" causes a cutaway to a Motorettes' performance of that word. There is usually a number of songs from the Hoobs or Motorettes, in some cases with familiar lyrics, or a familiar tune. The Hoobs visit the Tiddlypeeps (human children) twice, as they're smart, they're fun, they know. One Hoob drives left hand drive, one visits and turns the key and the third may participate in the B-story. An animated drawing story from a Tiddlypeep is aired, relating to the question. But in the episode "Stories", Tula makes a story herself which Hubba Hubba then puts on HoobNet and gets a Tiddlypeep to tell it. Roma reports back to the other Hoobs about the related subject on the Hoobycomputer. Various inappropriate solutions are rejected for an answer, just in time. Hoob News summarizes the adventure then the end credits roll. Other series Hello Hoobs – the five-minute "Hello Hoobs" segment includes excerpts from the English-language version, edited to function as a teaching tool. Targeted at viewers between the ages of four and eight, the segment uses the Hoobs to expand English-language vocabulary and explain rudiments of grammar.